Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [drill]

A tool used for creating holes in surfaces, such as for mounting objects on walls.

574 questions
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5 answers

When pre-drilling for screws, how do you determine the correct bit diameter?

Suppose I want to pre-drill for, say, a 5/16 screw. How do I determine the correct drill bit diameter?
ageektrapped
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8 answers

When would one use an impact driver versus a regular drill?

Or vice-versa. As best as I can tell, the impact driver is very good for most any type of screw going through wood. When would you use a drill (with screw bit) instead?
Matt
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4 answers

How do you know when and where it is safe to drill into a wall?

Lots of home projects involve cutting or drilling through walls (everything from nails, screws, or hooks to mount things to cutting through drywall and drilling through studs to run wire). In general, how do you know what's safe to break through and…
jrdioko
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Avoiding dust scattering when you drill

When I drill into concrete, stone or similar materials - a lot of dust gets scattered. I realize this might sound like a newbie/trivial question, but - how can I avoid this? Both dust getting on me, and even more importantly - into the air people…
einpoklum
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25
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4 answers

While drilling into kitchen wall, hit a wire - any advice?

While fixing the extractor hood yesterday, I accidently hit a wire when drilling and exposed the copper. The wires are too tight to get some kind of a box in there and putting an electrical tape may be too fiddley. Any advice will be greatly…
user1607035
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24
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3 answers

Mounted tv too high, OK to use same studs to remount?

I mounted a tv (60") on my living room wall too high. The heavy-duty mounting bracket uses large screws that required that I drill a 7/32" hole into the studs and used a socket wrench to tighten them in. (Total of 4 screws, two in each stud placed…
Puzzled
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23
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4 answers

Is it safe to re-use drill holes in a wall?

I've just mounted a 42" TV with a new wall mount that uses 3/16" bolts into some studs on the wall. I now want to use an articulating one, which means I'll need to replace the old mount. The new mount also uses the same size bolts. Is it safe to…
John Leehey
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22
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8 answers

Do I have to secure an IKEA TV stand to the wall?

I'm a young adult preparing to move out into an apartment the first time, and I'm trying to fill out some gaps in terms of furniture before I get going. I found this IKEA tv stand that's perfectly small and cheap, but there's this business about…
Aria Holmes
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22
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5 answers

Make a hole deeper than the drill bit is long

The longest drill bit I have is 23.62 inches and apparently the thickness of the concrete I need to penetrate is 27.5 inches. I don't wish to buy another drill bit, is there a smart solution? The hole is for a gas pipe to go through, so the diameter…
Blerg
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20
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3 answers

Recommend attachment for a drill/driver for drywall screws

I know there exist special 'screw guns' which are used to install drywall sheets and ensure that the sheets won't be crushed when driving screws. Do there exist special attachments which are installed in drill/drivers that basically guarantee that…
Mark
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20
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5 answers

What bit should I use to drill a two inch hole in a solid concrete wall?

I am planning to install a 1.5-inch conduit through a poured concrete wall. I am planning on drilling a two-inch hole to accommodate the size of the conduit body. I have been searching up and down, but I don't know what drill bit to use. Bi-metal?…
Henrik Techguy
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5 answers

What are the differences between SDS, SDS Plus, and SDS Max drills?

Basically I had to use a breaker last weekend, it was clear I did not need the “heavy duty” as I did not have 6” of solid concrete, but the descriptions of the other options confused me.
Walker
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19
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3 answers

Damage when drilling a mirror — normal or not?

I've just had a bespoke mirrored bathroom cabinet installed. The mirrors have had holes drilled for the knobs, and one of the holes has a white mark around it and generally doesn't look very clean. The mark is visible even when the knobs are in…
Simon K
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18
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1 answer

Inch-long block-and-spring part came with drill - what is it?

A drill came with these parts. I've tried searching for them but I don't know what keywords to use. They are each a bit longer than an inch.
ispiro
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14 answers

What is the best technique for using a drill to insert screws?

It looks so easy on the DIY programs, but I battle to insert screws using my drill. The screwdriver bit keeps slipping out, and it damages the screw head. Is there a neat trick for this? Should I set the drill's speed to low / high? Short bursts or…
rbrayb
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